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Capitol Critters
|last_aired = |num_episodes = 13 (6 unaired in original timeslot) }} Capitol Critters is an American animated sitcom about the lives of mice, rats and roaches who reside in the basement and walls of the White House in Washington, D.C. The series was produced by Steven Bochco Productions and Hanna-Barbera Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC, which aired seven out of the show's 13 episodes from January 31 to March 14, 1992. Cartoon Network later aired all 13 episodes in 1995. The series was part of a spate of attempts by major networks to develop prime time animated shows to compete with the success of Fox's The Simpsons, alongside CBS's Fish Police and Family Dog.Daniel Cerone, 'Fish Police' on Endangered Species List, Los Angeles Times, February 28, 1992, accessed January 20, 2011. The latter two, along with Capitol Critters, proved unsuccessful and were quickly cancelled. Plot A young mouse named Max is forced to flee his home at a human farm in Nebraska after he watches his family be killed by exterminators. He travels to Washington, D.C. to live with his cousin, a hippie female mouse named Berkley, a rebellious rat named Jammet and Jammet's mother, Trixie. The group contends with various problems such as the White House's new resident cats (referred to as the Presidential cat and Vice-Presidential cat, caricatures of then-President George H.W. Bush and then-Vice President Dan Quayle), cockroaches, drugs, guns, etc. Episodes Principal cast *Neil Patrick Harris - Max *Charlie Adler - Jammett *Patti Deutsch - Trixie *Jennifer Darling - Berkeley *Dorian Harewood - Moze *Bobcat Goldthwait - Muggle *Frank Welker - Presidential Cats Additional voices *Lewis Arquette - *Michael Bell - Roach husband, Various *Gregg Berger - *Earl Boen - *Sorrell Booke - *Hamilton Camp - *Brian Cummings - *Jim Cummings - Cockroach gang leader, Various *Tim Curry - Senator *Jeff Doucette - *Nancy Dussault - *Paul Eiding - Max's father *Richard Erdman - *Takayo Fischer - Kazuko *Brad Garrett - *Linda Gary - *Joan Gerber - Roach Wife *Ed Gilbert - *Dan Gilvezan - *Danny Goldman - Opie the Squirrel *Arlene Golonka - *Whitby Hertford - *Gordon Hunt - *Helen Hunt - *Robert Ito - Ichiro *Nick Jameson - *Julie Johnson - *David Jolliffe - *Janice Kawaye - Miko *Phil LaMarr - *Jarrett Lennon - *Tress MacNeille - *Anndi McAfee - *Chuck McCann - *Scott Menville - *Brian Stokes Mitchell - *Rob Paulsen - Janitor, Pigeon, Various *Robert Picardo - *Peter Renaday - *Robert Ridgely - *Neil Ross - Newscaster *Beverly Sanders - *Pamela Segall - *Kath Soucie - *Michael Stanton - *Jeffrey Tambor - *Mark L. Taylor - *Russi Taylor - Bluebird *Beverley Thompson - *Marcelo Tubert - *Chick Vennera - *B.J. Ward - Max's Mother *Dean Wendt - *Lee Wilkof - *Eugene Williams - *Patty Wirtz - *Bill Woodson - *Patric Zimmerman - Felix Crew *Lynne Batchelor - Talent Coordinator *Davis Doi - Supervising Producer *Gordon Hunt - Recording Director *David Kirschner - Co-Executive Producer *Kris Zimmerman - Animation Casting Director *Ruben Chavez - Background Painter Reception Capitol Critters was cancelled after less than two months. In its short run, the series dealt with such topics as politics, racial segregation, drug addiction, and mortality. In his review of the series, Variety critic Brian Lowry wrote that "at its best, the show seems to ape the work of film director Ralph Bakshi by using an animated setting to explore adult themes", and that "the bland central character and cartoonish elements ... will likely be off-putting to many adults, who won't find the political satire biting enough to merit their continued attention. Similarly, kids probably won't be as smitten with the cartoon aspects or look." Despite the show's short run, Capitol Critters inspired Burger King Kids Club toys in 1992, which featured Jammet, Max, Muggle, and a Presidential Cat sitting on or emerging from miniature Washington D.C. monuments. Also in 1992, Nintendo planned to adapt the TV series into a video game for the Super NES, but the game was cancelled for unknown reasons. International airings Capitol Critters was also shown in Germany on ProSieben and later o ANIXE, K-Toon, Das Vierte, Kabel eins and Junior as Mäuse an der Macht, in Japan as Amerikan Mausu Daibouken (アメリカンマウス大冒険), in Poland on TVP2 as "Max and Rat Pack" (Maks i szczurza ferajna), in Brazil as "Turma do Max" and in France on Canaille Peluche as Des souris à la Maison-Blanche. The series has also aired in several other countries including Network Ten and FOX8 in Australia, Nickelodeon in the United Kingdom, MediaCorp Channel 5 in Singapore, TV1 in Malaysia, Radio Philippines Network in the Philippines, ZBC in Zimbabwe, RTB in Brunei, StarPlus in India, TVB Pearl in Hong Kong and Silverbird TV in Nigeria. References External links * *Capitol Critters at the Big Cartoon Database Category:American Broadcasting Company network shows Category:1992 American television series debuts Category:1992 American television series endings Category:1990s American animated television series Category:American children's animated comedy television series Category:Animated television series about mice and rats Category:English-language television programs Category:Nebraska in fiction Category:1990s American political comedy television series Category:American animated television programs featuring anthropomorphic characters Category:Television series by Hanna-Barbera Category:Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Category:Television shows set in Washington, D.C. Category:Television series created by Steven Bochco Category:Television series scored by Don Davis (composer) Category:Television series scored by Bruce Broughton Category:Television series scored by J. A. C. Redford